Learn to Swim

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We made the decision to put Bailey into Paul Sadler Swimland Melton after noticing him panic from swallowing water at only chest height.

When Bailey first started attending lessons he lacked in confidence and was unable to wet his hair or face without panicking or getting upset. Working closely with Kristy (Teacher), Bailey began to show signs of confidence in the water.

During another family visit to the pool Bailey was involved in a small incident where he had attempted to climb out of the pool and had slipped back and fell into deeper water. As we rushed to his aid, much to our surprise, Bailey had happily surfaced after a couple of seconds and was doggy paddling his way back to the ledge.

If it wasn’t for the confidence and knowledge he had gained from his weekly lessons it could have been a much greater incident.

We would like to thank Paul Sadler Swimland Melton for their amazing service and support with Bailey. A special mention to Kristy for her firm yet fun approach with Bailey which is exactly the push he needed to gain confidence around the water.

Jackie

Over the last two years we have changed days and had different teachers, but they have all been excellent! They show a real passion for their work and maintain an excellent rapport with both of my children, helping them to achieve their goals.

Since coming to Paul Sadler Swimland, the kids have come ahead in leaps and bounds and I would strongly recommend others attend this great swim school! Although my kids are only three and four years old, they are already showing great potential and I have no doubt they will be strong, confident swimmers in the future.

Thank you,

Katie Dennis

When he began swimming lessons, our three-year-old son, Joseph, would scream and cry with fear, not wanting to get in the pool. Now, just six months later, he is excited about swimming, striving to participate and working towards getting certificates. We attribute this success to the patience and efforts of the Paul Sadler Swimland Taylors Lakes staff.

Thankyou,

Rosie

I just want to put into words how grateful we are for the staff at Paul Sadler Swimland.

Our son, Murray, has struggled with a fear of water and lack of confidence for eight years. We gave up swimming lessons with him as a baby because he would scream and cry before even getting in the pool. It was hard for us as a family because we wanted him to enjoy swimming as much as we did, but no amount of encouraging or bribing could get him in the water.

We believe that swimming is a survival skill and something everyone should be able to do, so when he turned seven years old we told him that he had no choice. We enrolled him in swimming lessons at Paul Sadler Swimland Rowville and, once again, the crying began.

After a few months it was still heartbreaking for us to see him so petrified and we were almost at the point of giving up. We then spoke to the Deck Supervisors, who suggested that Murray be placed in a class that would more specifically cater to his needs. Over the last term, Murray has built trust and a positive relationship with his teacher, Heather, and is making huge progress.

Murray still has a long way to go, but just seeing the smile on his face when he gets in the pool now has blown us away. Thank you Swimland, we are so grateful.

Murray

Harper started in Swordy Tots when she was 16 months old. When it was time for Harper to move up by herself she was very hesitant and upset. Her new teacher, Lucie, was absolutely amazing! Harper settled in within one week thanks to Lucie being so patient and encouraging.

For this past Christmas, Harper asked Santa for dolls. To our surprise, she has named all her new dolls ‘Lucie’, from swimming. She takes them into the bath and teaches them swimming, just like Lucie has taught her!

The Cooper family

While on holidays, our three year old daughter fell into the pool without floaties on. As we got to her, to our surprise she was already using the technique she had learned here at Paul Sadler called the ‘safety circle’. It was that valuable skill that helped our daughter that day and we cannot emphasise the importance of teaching your child to swim and survive enough.

Thank you Paul Sadler Swimland.

Happy Parents

About a year ago, my daughter and I had a scare elsewhere in the water, which meant that at first I was a little hesitant to give Evie the independence in the water that she needed. However, with the encouragement of Evie’s teacher, Mel, we have progressed enormously in just two terms.

The teachers at Paul Sadler really understand how to push Evie to her limits without making her or me feel uncomfortable. Mel often uses Evie to demonstrate each activity and I see that this really encourages her to do her best and progress on to the next stage.

Evie gains more confidence every week. As a mum, of course I’m extremely proud of Evie, and all the staff at Paul Sadler just really make my day.

Thank you Paul Sadler Swimland

My daughter, Annika, has been participating in lessons for three terms now (she is 15 months old) and the staff have been wonderful, friendly and helpful. I want to especially acknowledge Paul, who has been my daughter’s teacher for a term now. During this time I have seen my daughter grow so much! Paul is fantastic with the children, he mixes up the classes to make them interesting and is always encouraging the children. On top of this, he explains everything to the parents and tells us ways to help encourage our children to perform tasks. We are so happy with Paul and all the staff working at the Hoppers Crossing swim school. Thank you for providing such a great program!

Natasha

My daughter, Natalia, started swimming at Paul Sadler Swimland Carrum Downs in February 2013, aged five and a half.

She had never been in a swimming pool before – her only experience with water was baths and a few trips to the beach. At the beginning she was quite scared of water and lacked confidence. However, I’m absolutely amazed and proud of how far Natalia has come. In only 13 months, she has gotten seven certificates and is now aiming for her Maxi Blue certificate.

She has gained so much confidence and loves coming to her swimming lessons. Her teachers have been fantastic and are also amazed at how quickly she has progressed so far.

At home we have a pool and whenever Zach is swimming he always has his floaties on and stays on the step with us. One day recently we had decided it was time to get out and relax by the pool. We took Zach’s floaties off and he was playing beside us.

As he was playing he kept moving closer to the pool edge. We repeatedly told him to move away, but he was trying to get a ball that was floating near the edge. Although we continued to tell him to move away, he stretched further for the ball and fell in – with no floaties on! Before we could jump up and grab him, Zach had done his ‘safety circle’ and was back at the step holding on to the edge.

I can’t thank Paul Sadler Swimland enough; if Zach had not had swimming lessons there, the outcome that day may have been totally different.

While we were on holiday in Bali, our daughter Amelia was being looked after. We forgot to point out that she needed her arm floaties on if she was to go swimming and Amelia went down the water slide without her floaties. Luckily, she managed to swim herself to safety, and was okay. Without the swimming lessons she has had this year, she would not have been able to get back to the edge safely. Thank you Paul Sadler Swimland.

Thank you Paul Sadler Swimland

To everybody at Carrum Downs Swimland,

I am a father who gets to occasionally come to my daughter’s swimming lesson on Saturdays, when we are having a make-up class.. Firstly, please allow to express my happiness with everybody there. Being the father of a child on the Spectrum, I am fully aware that there are always delicacies at play..

Last week, I saw a little boy performing the treading water exercise, during which he became quite upset, afraid and scared. This turned into a crying/screaming episode from the little boy. The lady in charge of the group was on top of the situation and stayed with the boy for the next 20 minutes.. The mother, to her credit, refrained from interrupting and allowed the teacher to take care of the situation. I watched as, over the next 20 minutes, the boy went from ‘get me out of the pool now!!!’ to calming down and eventually smiling and participating with the group again. Well done Celynn, and a large round for applause to all of you.

Regards,

Martin Cole

Tanbir, who is 14 years old, loves his swimming lessons at Paul Sadler Swimland Parkwood Green, so much so that he wants to be a swimming teacher when he’s older! Tanbir’s Mum and Dad came over to Australia five years ago. In 2012, his Mum had a very bad car accident and was too afraid to drive her two sons to their swimming lessons and subsequently had to remove them. But she was determined to get her boys back into lessons, even if it meant that she would have to drive again. When Paul Sadler Swimland Parkwood Green opened close to her home, she enrolled both her sons and has been thrilled with their progress. She now drives a short distance to swimming lessons every week and has enjoyed watching both boys excel in the program.

One year ago, Suma (41), who was very fearful of water, decided to enrol into adult swimming lessons at Paul Sadler Swimland Parkwood Green. She was very scared and initially feared putting her face into the water. With determination over the year, she has progressed from being a beginning swimmer to a swimmer who can confidently swim 25 m of freestyle and 25 m of backstroke.

Over the recent June/July school holiday period, Suma and her family travelled to Cairns to enjoy some quality family time. During their stay, they signed up for a boat ride out to the Great Barrier Reef, where they would snorkel and scuba dive for the day. Suma’s five year old son (who also swims also at Paul Sadler Swimland Parkwood Green) and her husband snorkelled the Reef, while Suma donned the scuba gear and experienced the magical sites of the Reef up close and personal, diving 15 to 25 m in depth with experienced instructors.

Last month, my 21 month old son, Connor, was outside with his father on a Sunday afternoon playing in the garden.

Connor, being an inquisitive little boy who loves water, decided to investigate the waterfall to our swimming pool. All of sudden, his father heard a splash and Connor was in the pool, fully clothed. He was dressed in a heavy warm coat, pants, top and runners.

The next thing that happened amazed his father. Connor didn’t panic; he popped up out of the water, dog paddled to the side of the pool to where his father was and lifted himself out of the pool!

One of the best decisions we have made is enrolling Connor in weekly swimming lessons with the Swordy Tot Program at Paul Sadler Swimland!

Tracie Rourke

Our eldest daughter, Gemma, began swimming lessons at Swimland when she was six months old, but we left when Jasmine was born. Due to various reasons, we didn’t come back.

Then, in December 2011, while we were at a family function at Portsea, Gemma walked into a pool without floaties or an adult supervising. She went under, and stayed under, until my husband’s cousin saw her and grabbed her out.

I never forgave myself as I was supposed to be looking after her.

So, in February 2012, we booked both girls back into swimming lessons and have not looked back. Although Jasmine didn’t start swimming until she was four, she has progressed amazingly, first with Hamish and now Matt. Both girls have had a fantastic experience this year..

We are happy to pay for the lessons as we know these skills can be lifesaving. Thanks again, and please pass on our gratitude to the staff.

Regards,

Donna and Linc

While helping his Nanny clean the pool, my three year old son, Brody, lent over too far and fell into the pool – fully clothed. Brody immediately started treading water and managed to keep himself up until Nanny helped him out.

Without his weekly swimming lessons at Paul Sadler Swimland, the outcome may have been very different.

I had taken Charlotte (two years old) and her sister, who also swims at Paul Sadler, to the local pool for a swim. Charlotte decided to follow her sister into the big pool without any floatation devices on. I found her doing her safety circles and treading water in the big pool. It took a matter of about 15 to 20 seconds before I knew where she was, and I was able to get to her in time before she went under water.

I truly believe that the techniques taught during her swimming lessons, keeping in mind that this is her first year of leaning to swim, kept her above water long enough for me to get to her. This would have to be the best swim school I have ever come across.

Thank you again for teaching us life saving techniques!

Taylah started at Paul Sadler after having had a terrible experience with water. Due to that experience, Taylah developed a deep fear of putting her face into the water. During her very early lessons, Taylah would scream and cry, sometimes with tears running down her face the entire lesson.

On several occasions we considered stopping her swimming lessons all together. However, her teacher encouraged us to continue and reassured us that, as her ability grew, so would her confidence. This turned out to be the best advice that we could have been given.

Through the perseverance and support of Taylah’s teacher, and the consistency of weekly lessons, in just a few short months her outlook on swimming completely changed. She learnt to not just like swimming, but to love swimming.

Nicole

When my son started swimming on his own and cried, I felt terrible: terrible for the other parents whose children were in his class and terrible for the teacher. But the swim Instructors at Paul Sadler were fantastically skilled and they helped settle him by providing extra support while still running the class. After a few weeks he settled and now he loves coming back each week. I am glad I stuck it out and now I get to watch him improve each week.

Michelle

My daughter Amelia didn’t like to come to swimming because she was scared; she would cry when she was in the water and wouldn’t do anything independently. But, by continuing to bring Amelia to swimming, and with the excellent help from the teachers and Deck Supervisors, Amelia has overcome her fears and has now gained confidence in the pool. Amelia just received her Swordy Blue certificate and I couldn’t be prouder of her!

Casey

When my son first started at Paul Sadler Swimland he was very anxious about getting into the pool, especially as I was not getting in with him. After many battles, tantrums and crying, eventually the great instructors got him comfortable in the pool. Now, every Tuesday I know that from the minute he wakes up the conversation about swimming will start. With the support of all the staff I now have a happy son who looks forward to swimming.

Sarah

I would like to personally send my thanks and gratitude to the team at Narre Warren Swimland. The progression and growth I have seen with my child, Stella, under the tutelage of the Swimland team has been phenomenal.

Stella is the youngest of three girls. Her initial introduction to swimming lessons was traumatic for her. She was very anxious and scared of the prospect of lessons. During her first lesson, she cried her heart out and left the pool sobbing and shaking. The team at Swimland took an approach that I have not seen anywhere else and it proved to be very successful. Both of Stella’s older sisters went to another swim school, but I don’t think they would have been able to instil a love of swimming lessons like the team at Narre Warren has done for Stella.

To me it is an amazing team and cohesive effort. It has made an incredible difference to Stella, one we will be forever grateful for. Thank you.

Cheers,

Mick

My son started at age 3 and was very apprehensive about the lessons but the staff on deck at the pool were by my side right from the start helping both my son and I with the transition which I very much appreciated. The small class sizes and skills based approach to progressing through the swim levels ensures each child is constantly improving and learning new things, not just moving from level to level based on age. At 3.5 and 5.5 years old, I am amazed with what my kids have learned in the program. Each instructor we have had has been great at working with kids and it is clear that the staff are well trained and take a consistent approach with the lessonsWe know a lot of families who have joined Paul Sadler and I don’t think I have heard a single negative comment from anyone I know about the quality of the program and instructors and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

The Mackenzie Family

Hi, just a note to thank the staff on Saturday who helped Archie Taylor to settle in to the “3 year old pool” – his first lesson without graham or myself in the pool. Having that extra staff member to provide some one on one time really helped him adjust and he was really happy with himself after the lesson. Both our boys James and Archie have thrived in their lessons with you. In taking them to pools and beach over summer their water confidence has soared. It was also great to see them use some of the water safe practices they have learnt in lessons.

Kind regards,

Marie & Graham Taylor

My daughter, Natalia, started swimming at Paul Sadler Swimland Carrum Downs in February 2013 aged 5 and a half.
She had never been in a swimming pool before, her only experience with water was baths and the beach a few times. At the beginning she was quite scared of water and lacked confidence.
I’m absolutely amazed and proud of how far Natalia has come. In only 13 months, she has gotten 7 certificates and is now aiming for her Maxi Blue certificate.
She has gained so much confidence and loves coming to her swimming lessons. Her teachers have been fantastic and are also amazed at how quickly she has progressed so far.

Well done Natalia! We are so proud of you!

Natalia's Mum

Autumn, who swims at Paul Sadler Swimland Parkwood Green, was swimming at the Maribyrnong Aquatics Centre on the school holidays. She was having fun jumping in from the pool edge and climbing out while her dad was playing in the water with her baby brother. Autumn ended up venturing too far down the deep end and when she jumped in, she couldn’t touch the bottom. Currently she has her Swordy Green certificate, meaning she can confidently tread water for 30 seconds with one aid, but on this day she treaded water for 40–45 seconds with no aids, until her dad could reach her. Both her mum and dad are thankful that her swimming lessons at Paul Sadler Swimland gave her the skills to help prevent what could have been such a tragedy.

Why Swimland?

What is a Deck Supervisor?

Deck Supervisors are the super friendly staff in the red shirts on pool deck. They are there to answer any questions you have about your swimmer‘s progress or about our program and to support our teachers to provide great lessons. They love to talk swimming, so please go and see them if you have any queries.

Why do we use teaching aids?

It is proven that low stress levels increase coordination, so at Swimland, we encourage low stress with the use of teaching aids (floaties, back bubbles, kickboards, noodles etc). As a child becomes more confident, and therefore less stressed, we reduce the amount of teaching aids the child uses. We have also found that swimmers who are less stressed progress faster.

Our swimmers still have plenty of aid-free time, and we practise safety circles to teach the children how to swim back to the edge of the pool without help in case they were to fall in.

How often should my child come to swimming lessons?

Coming to swimming lessons once a week, on a year round basis, is awesome for swimmer progress. Swimming every week, all year round, will see your child really develop and get the most out of the fun programs we offer.

How long does it take to learn to swim?

On average, it takes around 20 lessons to achieve the next certificate, but sometimes it can take a little longer. Every child is different, and it’s important for parents to remember that some skills will come easily to their child while others will be a little more challenging.

If your swimmer has been at the same level for a while or is finding a skill a little difficult, our Deck Supervisor will talk to you about some strategies to help them move forward and will be working with your teacher to ensure your swimmer continues to progress. At Swimland, we will always offer extra support to those who need it.

How do I contact my child’s teacher?

Our Deck Supervisors constantly monitor the progress of all children participating in lessons. They are a great resource for parents who want regular updates, as they have the experience and, importantly, the time to answer any questions you may have. The Deck supervisor can also chat with the teacher about any specific queries you may have and get back to you with the answer.

What should I bring to swimming lessons?

We provide all of the equipment and teaching aids you and your child need to have a great, fun lesson. All you need to bring is bathers, a towel and goggles for swimmers at Maxi-Pink level or above

Little ones under three should also wear either a swim nappy or swim wear that is firm fitting around the legs.

Are you ready? 1,2,3 beginning the underwater experience

I was so excited to start Milla’s preparation for submersion. I had refreshed my memory on the best way to prepare her, by watching all of the Youtube clips I could find (which was not that many that were not horrendously scary) and watching the Laurie Lawrence living with water dvd.

School's Back! - The Top 5 Ways to Brighten Your Child's Lunch Box

School Lunches can become repetitive to prepare and less interesting to eat after years of school. This year, why not liven up your child’s lunch time with these great ideas!

GADS Wrap Up

The Great Australia Day Swim was a wonderful day filled with excitement and some extremely proud moments!
On the 26th of January, Paul Sadler Swimland Swimmers joined the general public and took to the open water in Brighton to swim in the ‘Swimland Great Australia Day Swim’. For many of our swimmers this was their first open water swim event!

Greenworld

COMING SOON. An exciting interactive adventure and game for all Green certificate recipients and above.

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Refer a friend

Do you love our program and think you friends will too? Refer a friend to Paul Sadler Swimland and you will both receive a discount off your next months’ fees.